LED Moving message sign
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Has anyone made a moving message LED sign using a STAMP?
I'm interested in circuits and programs if possible.
Thanks in advance.
I'm interested in circuits and programs if possible.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
> Has anyone made a moving message LED sign using a STAMP?
>
> I'm interested in circuits and programs if possible.
>
> Thanks in advance.
Hello,
I saw a great article in Nuts & Volts magazine, October issue Vol.
21, no. 10. It has all the hardware you would need and the source
code to help you out.
Good Luck on your project.
Frank G.
--- In basicstamps@egroups.com, "Dr. Frankenstein" <fwankg@y...>
wrote:
> --- In basicstamps@egroups.com, sisinfo@s... wrote:
> > Has anyone made a moving message LED sign using a STAMP?
> >
> > I'm interested in circuits and programs if possible.
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I saw a great article in Nuts & Volts magazine, October issue Vol.
> 21, no. 10. It has all the hardware you would need and the source
> code to help you out.
>
> Good Luck on your project.
>
> Frank G.
Nuts and Volts article, I used the book written by the same Scott
Edwards who wrote the original N&V article. You can find the
paperback in the sub $20 range at any good bookstore, but I ordered
mine online. If you are starting out with a stamp, this book is
invaluable (CD-ROM with code included).
Author: Scott Edwards
Title: Programming and Customizing the Basic Stamp Computer
Publish: McGraw Hill
ISBN: 0-07-913684-2 (paperback)
0-07-913683-3 (hardcover)
Inside is a whole chapter on Persistance of Vision ('Magic Message
Machine') that includes pictures of the completed project, source
code, part specs, wiring diagrams, and so on.
After attempting his book design, I found that the best modification
was to mount the stamp on a motor for continuous rotation instead of
using a pendulum as suggested in the book. The key is to keep the
stamp and battery mounted near the motor axle so that the inertia is
less and the motor rotation is more steady. I was able to see my
name very clearly but it tended to flicker right and left because the
lack of speed control. My last design added a speed control to the
motor, which made the name appear to 'hover' exactly in the same spot
every rotation.
Other hints:
- Set the delay to smaller values than suggested in the book (I used
a delay of zero and positioned the trigger magnet).
- Changing the motor speed setpoint gives neat effects like
stretching and shrinking the words. Pretty neat way to demonstrate
velocity control.
- Watch the resistor values for the LED bargraph display you use. I
ended up using 1k resistors instead of the 470 to get the maximum
brightness.
- A speed of about 1-5 RPM worked out best. My initial mistake was
to try to go too fast, resulting in a indescipherable blur.
- Make sure the room is really dark...
- DO NOT do this near a window. My first few attempts caused the
battery (and sometimes the stamp!) to fly off into nearby people,
places, and things. Based on the dent left in my 9 volt when it
slammed into the floor, a window would definately not absorb the
impact well.
Good luck!
- Sean Brennan
snbrenna@u...
mr-roboto@i...
http://mr-roboto.me.uiuc.edu/snbrena
look at night blade project
on
http://www.inetport.com/~davisele/fc.html
richard
Original Message
From: <sisinfo@s...>
To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 5:41 PM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] LED Moving message sign
> Has anyone made a moving message LED sign using a STAMP?
>
> I'm interested in circuits and programs if possible.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>
>
>
> thanks for the lead - what year was that issue?
>
> --- In basicstamps@egroups.com, "Dr. Frankenstein" <fwankg@y...>
> wrote:
> > --- In basicstamps@egroups.com, sisinfo@s... wrote:
> > > Has anyone made a moving message LED sign using a STAMP?
> > >
> > > I'm interested in circuits and programs if possible.
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I saw a great article in Nuts & Volts magazine, October issue
Vol.
> > 21, no. 10. It has all the hardware you would need and the
source
> > code to help you out.
> >
> > Good Luck on your project.
> >
> > Frank G.
It was the october issue of this year.
See ya,
Frank G.
magazine [noparse][[/noparse]cover feature Issue #79 "Funky Windmill"]
on building a flashing LED device powered by a stepper
motor [noparse][[/noparse]which serves as the rotary bearing hub as well].
[noparse][[/noparse]see http://www.homepower.com for online copy of current issue].
The LEDs are rotating on blades of an old automobile fan
which is mounted on the stepper motor Since the LEDs pulse
with the AC current coming out of the stepper motor they
flash in the same rotational place and appear as circular
rings of flashes - brightness and speed of flashes
depending on how fast the wind is driving the fan....
It occurred to me that this is not unlike a model helicopter
rotor... so you could have it flash stars, messages,
current temperature etc. instead of the pattern shown.
Perhaps one of you smart guys would like to program this!;
You could use the stepper motor to charge batteries as well
as synchronizing the message flash position.
Put the electronics and batteries close to the rotational
center so they don't have much angular momentum if they
get loose :-)
Let us know if you do it!
<><><>
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 09:10:01 -0500
From: "dakota" <rfriedrich@i...>
Subject: Re: LED Moving message sign
I built one but I bet this isn't what you had in mind
look at night blade project on
http://www.inetport.com/~davisele/fc.html
<><><>
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> magazine [noparse][[/noparse]cover feature Issue #79 "Funky Windmill"]
> on building a flashing LED device powered by a stepper
> motor [noparse][[/noparse]which serves as the rotary bearing hub as well].
> [noparse][[/noparse]see http://www.homepower.com for online copy of current issue].
>
> The LEDs are rotating on blades of an old automobile fan
> which is mounted on the stepper motor Since the LEDs pulse
> with the AC current coming out of the stepper motor they
> flash in the same rotational place and appear as circular
> rings of flashes - brightness and speed of flashes
> depending on how fast the wind is driving the fan....
See Bpb Blick's page for his propeller clock and links to variants.
http://www.bobblick.com/bob/projects/mclock/index.html
> It occurred to me that this is not unlike a model helicopter
> rotor... so you could have it flash stars, messages,
> current temperature etc. instead of the pattern shown.
Here a guy has done it on an r/c heli with a Basic24x.
http://www.inetport.com/~davisele/night.html
> Perhaps one of you smart guys would like to program this!;
>
> You could use the stepper motor to charge batteries as well
> as synchronizing the message flash position.
>
> Put the electronics and batteries close to the rotational
> center so they don't have much angular momentum if they
> get loose :-)
>
> Let us know if you do it!
>